Mark 10:17-32

 

Mark 10:17-32

CJB

 

 “As He was starting on His way, a man ran up, kneeled down in front of Him and asked, ‘Good Rabbi, what should I do to obtain eternal life?’ YESHUA said to him, ‘Why are you calling Me good? No one is good except GOD! You know the Mitzvot – “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony, don’t defraud, honor your father and mother…” Rabbi,’ he said, ‘I have kept these since I was a boy.’ YESHUA, looking at him felt love for him and said to him, ‘You’re missing one thing. Go, sell whatever you own, give to the poor, and you will have riches in Heaven. Then, come follow Me!’ Shocked by His Word, he went away sad; because he was a wealthy man. YESHUA looked around and said to His talmidim, ‘How hard it is going to be for people with wealth to enter The Kingdom of GOD!’ His talmidim were astounded at His Words; but YESHUA said to them again. ‘My friends, how hard it is to enter The Kingdom of GOD! It’s easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter The Kingdom of GOD.’ They were utterly amazed and said to Him, ‘Then who can be saved?’ YESHUA looked at them and said, ‘Humanly it is impossible, but not with GOD; with GOD, everything is possible.’ Kefa began saying to Him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ YESHUA said, ‘Yes! I tell you there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or fields, for My sake and the sake of The Good News, who will not receive a hundred times over, now, in the olam hazeh, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and lands – with persecutions! – and in the olam haba, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first!’ They were on the road going to Yerushalayim. YESHUA was walking ahead of them, and they were amazed – and those following were afraid. So again taking the Twelve along with Him, He began telling them what was about to happen to Him”

 

I have heard many teaching on this passage of scripture, especially the first section on the rich man and The Kingdom of GOD, about the eye of a needle and the difficulty of getting into Heaven, about the last being first and the first being last, about the rewards for those who give up everything to follow and serve JESUS both in this life and in eternity, and of course “with man it is impossible but with GOD everything is impossible”.

 

But, as I was reading this passage two new lessons jumped out at me.

 

 “My friends, how hard it is to enter The Kingdom of GOD! It’s easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter The Kingdom of GOD.” They were utterly amazed and said to Him, ‘Then who can be saved?’” The first part of this passage says that it is hard to enter the Kingdom of GOD, then emphasizes how much harder it is for the rich to enter The Kingdom of GOD. This confirms what JESUS taught in the Sermon on the Mount, “Get in by the narrow gate; for the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road broad, and many travel it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

 

There are many who teach about the good life, but JESUS taught about the hard life, He said we would be persecuted for our faith and obedience, even by our own family. He said that we would be imprisoned and killed for our faith and obedience. He said that to be His disciple we had to lay down our life and take up our execution stake (cross) daily and follow (obey) Him. But He also said that He came to give us life and give it in abundance (John 10:10); in the passage above He said that those who give up their life in the world to follow (serve) Him would be rewarded 100 fold (percent) in this life and in eternity.

 

So how do we balance these teachings? By seeking The Kingdom of GOD and His Righteousness first (Matthew 6:33); by prayer, fasting and studying His Word The Bible and listening to His SPIRIT. Some are called to be rich, but not very many because as JESUS stated that is a very hard way. Some are called to lay down everything, but not all that many because it is a pretty hard way. All of us are called to seek Him and obey no matter the cost and it is a hard way at times. Our blessings and rewards in this life are not always the way we think of them; family is not always genetic; peace is not always the absence of trials and troubles; possessions are not always worldly; but His Grace is always sufficient and His Mercies are always available. “Yes! I tell you there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or fields, for My sake and the sake of The Good News, who will not receive a hundred times over, now, in the olam hazeh (present age), homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and lands – with persecutions! – and in the olam haba (age to come), eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first!”

 

The second thing that jumped out to me was, “They were on the road going to Yerushalayim. YESHUA was walking ahead of them, and they were amazed – and those following were afraid.” Twice, in Matthew 10:28-31 and Luke 12:4-7 (study these passages and you will see that these are different times and locations), JESUS taught to not fear men who can only kill the body, but to fear Him (GOD) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. So JESUS’ disciples where blessed, amazed and afraid by the authority and power that JESUS demonstrated daily. There are some in the Church today who talk of their personal relationship with JESUS as if they are best friends and JESUS did call us friends and we are adopted by The Father and are joint-heirs with Him of The Father’s eternal Kingdom (the apostles all called themselves slaves and servants of JESUS). But, He is GOD and we need to have the reverential fear of HIM as Creator, Redeemer and Judge!

 

In 1 Samuel 15:22 where he declares that obedience is better than sacrifice he was talking about animal sacrifice according to The Law. In the New Testament we are called to sacrifice our own life and will to be obedient to The Father’s Will and JESUS’ Life! Matthew 6:9-10, John 11:25-26.

 

Let us live the good and abundant life, full of grace and mercy in CHRIST JESUS to The Father, working out our salvation with fear and trembling, Philippians 2:12-13.